Conduct a Free Travis County Warrant Search

Run a free Travis County warrant search and retrieve relevant information about pending court orders against yourself or someone you care about.

The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) established the rules for making records available to people; this includes warrant information that can be readily uncovered by individuals using the tools and resources presented in this article.

When looking for valuable insight or dealing with the challenge of an active warrant, concerned citizens can count on this resource to provide useful, efficient tools to help them navigate the situation seamlessly in Travis County, Texas.

Tracking Down Free Warrant Information in Travis County Texas (An Overview)

In general, warrant information is public records in Texas. This is determined by the Texas Public Information Act (PIA), which governs how records should be made readily available to citizens interested in inspecting them and, if necessary, copying them.¹

The exceptions are warrants that must be kept secret to prevent problems with their execution or for legal reasons.

When trying to uncover details connected to warrants issued in Travis County, concerned citizens can rely on many different official sources. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for executing warrants and can be a useful online resource.² Likewise, the Austin Police Department can help, along with the Justice of the Peace, uncover relevant information for free.

When searching for information about warrants or seeking out effective strategies to address an outstanding court order, people can rely on this article to find relevant tools and resources. It doesn’t matter if they’re handling a personal warrant or a court order issued against someone they care about, this article will walk searchers through their options so they can smoothly accomplish their goals.

How To Run a Travis County Warrant Search: See if You or Someone Else Is Wanted

After a warrant is issued in Travis County, it’s the Sheriff’s Office’s responsibility to execute it. To help citizens be proactive in resolving pending court orders against them, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office allows individuals to run warrant searches online.²

The warrant search system requires users to know a case number or provide the last name and the date of birth of the potential offender. The system won’t work without a date of birth but will yield results if only the two initial letters of a name are known.

It’s important to keep in mind that if the system doesn’t show any results, there’s no guarantee that there isn’t an active warrant against the person being searched. When in doubt or when the minimum information is known in order to begin a search, people can contact the Sheriff’s Office for support and clarification.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is available to everyone over the phone, through the Central Warrants line, at 512.854.9751. Or, if the preference is to visit one of their offices in person, they’re available at three different locations:

Central Command
Keith G. Ruiz Bldg.
5555 Airport Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78751

Phone: 512.854.9770

East Command
Jim Collier Bldg.
7811 Burleson Manor Road
Manor, Texas 78653

Phone: 512.854.9721

West Command
Maurice Moore Bldg.
3800 Hudson Bend Road
Austin, Texas 78732

Phone: 512.854.9728

The Austin Police Department also provides a convenient way for citizens to search for warrants under their jurisdiction. They are only able to show warrants for cases they’re involved in, but the system allows searches by last name and birth date, as well as by first and last name (which is helpful when the offender’s date of birth isn’t known).

The results will show the charge against that person and who’s the best point of contact if they wish to resolve the warrant. For court orders that end with MC or CC, citizens should contact the Austin Municipal Court at 512.974.4812.³ For all others, they should reach out to the Austin Police Department at 512.974.5299 or the city’s tip line at 512.472.TIPS.⁴

Those numbers are good for both individuals who wish to resolve their warrants and those who have information about wanted individuals. If the best course of action is to visit those agencies in person, this is how they can be contacted:

Austin Police Department
715 East 8th St
Austin, TX 78701

Austin Municipal Court
6800 Burleson Rd. – Building 310 – Suite 175
Austin, TX 78744

Another way to look for warrants in Travis County is to use the Justice of the Peace Judicial Records Search System. Users can utilize this platform to look for criminal cases and family, civil and probate cases. They can also choose to look at cases in all courts in the county or limit the search to a specific one.

After making those choices, searchers can start an inquiry by name. Unlike the Sheriff’s system, it’s not necessary to know the defendant’s date of birth, and only using a last name will yield results. Also, it’s possible to narrow the search using many criteria: whether the case is open or closed, the filing date, and others.

The results will show if a warrant is still pending execution on the case through an orangish W that will appear next to the case number, on the left side of the screen. If someone sees that marker next to their case, they should start to take steps to address that warrant as quickly as possible. How they can do that will be addressed below.

The Travis County Clerk also provides a useful tool to search for warrants issued by the local courts. The Court Data system is free and accessible to anyone searching for relevant facts about proceedings under their jurisdiction.⁷

Users can access the system by clicking on the “Court Data” button. This will lead them to an instructions page where, by clicking on Smart Search, they can access the inquiry section of the page.

Simple searches can be done by name or record number. However, the advanced search option allows users to make more effective inquiries. It even allows them to search specifically for issued and pending warrants, among other criteria.

The result will show details about the case, providing valuable information for those who wish to take care of their warrants or provide law enforcement with information about a wanted individual.

If anyone decides they need more information or clarification from the Travis County Clerk’s Office, they can be contacted using the following information:

Travis County Clerk’s Office
5501 Airport Blvd
Austin, TX 78751

Phone: 512.854.9188

Types of Warrants & What They Stand For

Warrants are issued for various reasons, and how they’re named may help explain the purpose of the court order they present (and to which the target must comply).

For example, when an arrest warrant is issued, it indicates that law enforcement showed the judge probable cause and that they’re now authorized to arrest a person who seems to have committed a crime. The execution of an arrest warrant starts the court proceedings so that a person can be tried for their alleged crimes: they’re taken to jail, booked, arraigned, etc.

On the other hand, a bench warrant is issued when someone (who’s already in the process of being tried for an offense) fails to appear in court on the required date. A bench warrant allows law enforcement to arrest that person and force them to appear in front of the judge so the proceedings can continue.

Search warrants are also very common in Texas. They authorize law enforcement to search a location for evidence. It can be as specific as searching someone’s property, such as a house or a vehicle.

When executing a search warrant, law enforcement can seize any evidence they find that may help their investigation or the case related to it.

Other relatively common court orders in Texas are blue and mental health warrants. A blue warrant is issued by a judge when an individual on probation or parole fails to comply with the conditions of their release. They stop reporting to their correction officer, for example.

When someone is arrested on a blue warrant, the terms of their release might change drastically.

A mental health warrant is a court order that allows action to be taken regarding an individual who doesn’t seem to be able to take care of themselves anymore. For example, when an individual is mentally impaired and unable to make reasonable decisions or when someone shows signs that they could cause harm to themselves or others. A mental health warrant allows law enforcement to bring that person to emergency care, even if it’s against their will.

All types of warrants mentioned here (as well as all others that also exist) can be referred to as open, active, or outstanding. Those terms merely indicate that a warrant is pending execution and don’t speak about the type of court order at hand. If someone ever hears that there’s an open warrant against them, for instance, they should start trying to find out what type of court order they’re dealing with.

How To Settle an Active Warrant in Travis County Texas

The Austin Police Department offers good tips about how to handle a warrant in Travis County. Although their information may be limited to warrants connected to them, it’s still valuable instruction.

Warrants that end with MC and CC should be addressed with the Austin Municipal Court.³ This is how they should be contacted:

Austin Municipal Court
6800 Burleson Rd. – Building 310 – Suite 175
Austin, TX 78744

Phone: 512.974.4812

All other warrants should be handled with the law enforcement agency under which authority the incident has happened: the Austin Police Department or the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. This is their contact information:

Austin Police Department
715 East 8th St
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512.974.5299
Tip line: 512.472.TIPS

Travis County Sheriff’s Office
Central Command
Keith G. Ruiz Bldg.
5555 Airport Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78751

Phone: 512.854.9770

The Travis County Justice of the Peace Courts provides a means for individuals to pay for fines related to their warrants online.⁹ Although not all warrants are eligible for this convenient solution, it’s a straightforward way to address and solve a problem in some cases.

Users can search for their warrants and quickly make a payment if the option is available. It’s recommended that the payer keeps a copy of the receipt since the payment may take a few days to process.

The fact of the matter is that some warrants are uncomplicated to resolve. In some instances, they may be gone by making a payment or scheduling a court appearance.

However, some warrants are more difficult to resolve. For that reason, anyone dealing with an outstanding warrant should consider doing the following:

• Hiring an experienced attorney who can provide sensible advice and speak on the individual’s behalf with the courts (and law enforcement);
• Communicating with family and friends – these people can provide support as the individual goes through the challenge of dealing with the warrant;
• Contact and make arrangements with a licensed bondsman, who can post bail quickly if the individual is arrested and needs to be released from jail.

It’s important to be proactive and take action when faced with an active warrant. For that reason, there’s value in being able to speedily run a Travis County warrant search and uncover information about court orders currently pending execution. Well-informed people who know their circumstances can make better decisions and resolve their problems more effectively.